Kate Ellis: Merchant's House & Armada Boy
Dec. 2nd, 2008 02:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hildy89I meant to post this before Nano started, but I was a little side tracked. By the point I’d gotten around to this, I’d finished the second book, too. *sighs*
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neadods mentioned Kate Ellis' mysteries in her Bouchercon wrap-up post. The online descriptions sounded interesting enough, so I hunted down the first two books, Merchant’s House and The Armada Boy at my local library. Both books had a good blend of the modern and historical showing parallel stories of the modern CID detectives and the archaeological dig. I love these types of books, more so than actual historical mysteries, because I love seeing the modern perspective. Archaeology/historical research are just different types of detective work. The different threads do all interrelate to each other. Part of me felt everything was a little too neatly wrapped up at the end.
Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson just moved to the fictional Tradmouth area from London with his wife Pamela. He’s also black. His wife Pam isn’t.
Peterson's race is only lightly touched on the first two books. There are no lengthy physical descriptions, just a comment about his dark brown face once. Only one coworker really seems to have an issue with the new guy, but everyone else accepts him. We're fed bits and pieces about his family background and education. In the second one, he’s mostly played as a contrast to his scallywag of a boss. Everyone thinks Wesley’s the polite and thoughtful one.
I'll be flat out honest I took a lot longer warming up to his wife Pamela. I credit most of that to her storyline in The Merchant's House. She’s obsessed with having a child, so they spend a good deal of time at a prominent fertility clinic trying to figure out what’s wrong with her. And of course Wesley is embroiled in his new job and new case and you can well imagine the marital strife. It doesn’t paint the nicest picture of the two of them.
Six months have passed between the first two books. Wesley appears to have been accepted completely by the local force. Pam has settled in as well. There's still some friction between them, but it's not as pervasive as the first book.
The archaeology parts are quite fun, although the using the fake local histories as plot points gets old very fast. I was delighted one of the female archaeologists is into underwater archaeology, searching old shipwrecks.
Peterson is billed as the lead detective, but it's really a solid ensemble book. It's clear Peterson's not the only one running down leads or finding clues. His boss Inspector Heffernan is an old sea dog. I rather like the lone female detective Rachel Tracey.
One interview I read discussed casting suggestions for Wesley Peterson with the younger Sidney Poitiers or Adrian Lester of MI5/Spooks fame. I was reminded of Idris Elba ("Ultraviolet") or Colin Salmon ("Prime Suspect 2") in the tall dark and British categories.
I enjoy the series enough to check out some of the others from the library. I did notice some similarities between the first two books, but maybe she worked out those kinks in the others.
neadods mentioned Kate Ellis' mysteries in her Bouchercon wrap-up post. The online descriptions sounded interesting enough, so I hunted down the first two books, Merchant’s House and The Armada Boy at my local library. Both books had a good blend of the modern and historical showing parallel stories of the modern CID detectives and the archaeological dig. I love these types of books, more so than actual historical mysteries, because I love seeing the modern perspective. Archaeology/historical research are just different types of detective work. The different threads do all interrelate to each other. Part of me felt everything was a little too neatly wrapped up at the end.Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson just moved to the fictional Tradmouth area from London with his wife Pamela. He’s also black. His wife Pam isn’t.
Peterson's race is only lightly touched on the first two books. There are no lengthy physical descriptions, just a comment about his dark brown face once. Only one coworker really seems to have an issue with the new guy, but everyone else accepts him. We're fed bits and pieces about his family background and education. In the second one, he’s mostly played as a contrast to his scallywag of a boss. Everyone thinks Wesley’s the polite and thoughtful one.
I'll be flat out honest I took a lot longer warming up to his wife Pamela. I credit most of that to her storyline in The Merchant's House. She’s obsessed with having a child, so they spend a good deal of time at a prominent fertility clinic trying to figure out what’s wrong with her. And of course Wesley is embroiled in his new job and new case and you can well imagine the marital strife. It doesn’t paint the nicest picture of the two of them.
Six months have passed between the first two books. Wesley appears to have been accepted completely by the local force. Pam has settled in as well. There's still some friction between them, but it's not as pervasive as the first book.
The archaeology parts are quite fun, although the using the fake local histories as plot points gets old very fast. I was delighted one of the female archaeologists is into underwater archaeology, searching old shipwrecks.
Peterson is billed as the lead detective, but it's really a solid ensemble book. It's clear Peterson's not the only one running down leads or finding clues. His boss Inspector Heffernan is an old sea dog. I rather like the lone female detective Rachel Tracey.
One interview I read discussed casting suggestions for Wesley Peterson with the younger Sidney Poitiers or Adrian Lester of MI5/Spooks fame. I was reminded of Idris Elba ("Ultraviolet") or Colin Salmon ("Prime Suspect 2") in the tall dark and British categories.
I enjoy the series enough to check out some of the others from the library. I did notice some similarities between the first two books, but maybe she worked out those kinks in the others.
